Audio 3:35
Illegal shacks threaten River Murray

A small rural council is struggling to keep up with illegal shack developments along more than 200 kilometres of the River Murray in South Australia.

Transcript

MARK COLVIN: A small rural council in South Australia is struggling to police thousands of shacks along the banks of the River Murray.

It has just one employee to make sure landowners on a 220 kilometre stretch of the river aren't putting up illegal structures.

From Renmark, Tom Fedorowytsch reports.

(Frogs croaking)

TOM FEDOROWYTSCH: There are few people disturbing the frogs on a quiet day in the small settlement of Brenda Park, two hours from Adelaide.

Like thousands of city residents, Mario Fallavollita heads to his son-in-law's shack on the banks of the River Murray whenever he can.

MARIO FALLAVOLLITA: Come on holiday every now and again, take the weekend, long weekends to come up.

TOM FEDOROWYTSCH: The family's shack is a small, basic structure which has been standing just metres from the river for decades.

MARIO FALLAVOLLITA: Just relax, drink beer, bit of wine - that's it.

TOM FEDOROWYTSCH: It's the good life.

MARIO FALLAVOLLITA: Very good, it's the best life you can get. Finally, I start enjoying my life.

TOM FEDOROWYTSCH: There are more than 3,000 riverfront shacks in 50 settlements in the council area, spanning more than 200 kilometres from the bend in the river at Morgan down to Mannum near Adelaide.

Many of them couldn't be built under today's laws, according to Rocky Warren, the Mid Murray Council's manager of regulatory services.

ROCKY WARREN: The regulations of the River Murray Act and the Development Act where people need to comply with a lot different provisions than what they do in Adelaide, because they just can't build a house because they have to be aware of the flood restrictions and protection of the River Murray.

TOM FEDOROWYTSCH: Shacks must now be constructed on stilts above previous flood levels. The owners can't park caravans and shipping containers on the ground, and septic tank systems are strictly controlled to prevent contamination of the river.

Rocky Warren is overseeing action against dozens of shack owners who've ignored the rules, costing the council hundreds of thousands of dollars every year.

ROCKY WARREN: Probably the worst ones are whole buildings, whole houses, whole dwellings being constructed upon portions of land without any forms of development approval.

The excavating of the riverbank, that's a massive problem, causes massive erosion to the river's edge. And the illegal dumping of concretes, and other structures and tyres within the River Murray, they're probably the worst stuff we're seeing, constantly.

TOM FEDOROWYTSCH: He's solely responsible for monitoring development on this long stretch of the river.

ROCKY WARREN: Because council's resources are so stretched, being a small rural council, they just can't afford to be employing more staff to try and police these provisions.

So we rely mainly and wholly on the complaints received from neighbours who are getting frustrated and annoyed with illegal development occurring and knowing that it shouldn't occur, because we just don't have those facilities or the resources to be investigating every property to make sure everyone complies.

TOM FEDOROWYTSCH: Tim Kelly heads up the Conservation Council in South Australia.

TIM KELLY: There are strict controls on development. The problem is actually enforcing those controls.

TOM FEDOROWYTSCH: He says run-off from buildings is polluting the river.

TIM KELLY: There's been identified up to 100 cases of illegal development along this section of the River Murray. But are there many more? We don't know. If you haven't got officers that are actually able to go out and check for compliance, well then the problem could be even larger than we currently know it is.

TOM FEDOROWYTSCH: The South Australian Environment Department has released a statement, saying it's considering its options, and welcomes the chance to communicate on the shack issue with the Mid Murray Council.

Rocky Warren again.

ROCKY WARREN: We really hope we can highlight the problems we do have along the River Murray and engage the residents and landowners and say, please, please, let's start to think about the condition and the safety of the River Murray, and look after this pristine ecosystem we've got within South Australia.

MARK COLVIN: Rocky Warren from the Mid Murray Council ending that report by Tom Fedorowytsch.